Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Grey, Richard de (d.1419)
GREY, RICHARD de, fourth Baron (seventh by tenure) Grey of Codnor (d. 1419), was son of Henry de Grey (d. 1379), and succeeded his grandfather John de Grey (1305-1392) [q. v.] in 1392. In 1400 he was appointed admiral of the king's fleet from the Thames to the north, and in the same year was made governor of Roxburgh Castle. In 1402 he was one of the commissioners appointed to treat with Owen Glendower for the release of Reginald, lord Grey de Ruthin [q. v.] Two years later he was appointed justice of South Wales. In 1405 Grey submitted certain considerations on the state of Wales to the king and council (Proc. Privy Council, i. 277), and on 2 Dec. he was appointed lieutenant of South Wales, and held the post till 1 Feb. 1406. A letter which he wrote from Carmarthen to the king at this time is preserved (ib. i. 282). In 1405 Grey was also engaged in a controversy with Lord Beaumont as to which of them was entitled to precedency, the earliest record of such a dispute between two barons (ib. ii. 105). In this year he also acted as marshal during the absence of the Earl of Westmorland, in 1406 was a commissioner to receive fines from the Welsh rebels, in 1407 became constable of Nottingham Castle and ranger of Sherwood Forest, and in 1413 governor of Fronsac in Aquitaine (ib. ii. 133). Previously to 1412 he was appointed chamberlain (see Fœdera, viii. 721), and from this time forward was constantly employed on diplomatic missions. In 1413 he was one of the ambassadors to treat for a marriage between Henry, prince of Wales, and Anne, daughter of John, duke of Burgundy. Next year he was one of those appointed to procure a prolongation of the truce with France (ib. ix.183), and one of the ambassadors to negotiate a marriage between Henry V and Catherine of France (Waurin, Chroniques, i. 264, Rolls Ser.) In August 1415 he was employed to negotiate a truce with Robert, duke of Albany, regent of Scotland (Fœdera, ix. 302-3), and shortly after was made warden of the eastern marches (see Proc. Privy Council, ii. 165, 178). In 1418 he was governor of the castle of Argentan in Normandy, and died on 1 Aug. 1419. Grey was summoned to parliament from 13 Nov. 1393 to 3 Sept. 1417, and was made knight of the Garter in 1403 (Beltz, Memorials of the Garter, p. clvi). He married in 1387 Elizabeth, daughter of Ralph Basset of Sapcote, who died in 1445; by her he had three sons, John (1399?-1430), and Henry (1406?-1443), fifth and sixth barons Grey of Codnor, and William, bishop of Ely (d. 1478) [q. v.]
[Authorities quoted; Rymer's Fœdera, vols. viii. and ix. original edition; Sir N. H. Nicolas's Proceedings of the Privy Council, vols. i. ii.; Dugdale's Baronage, i. 710; Burke's Dormant and Extinct Peerages, p. 248.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.142
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
| Page | Col. | Line | |
| 200 | i | 23 | Grey, Richard, 4th Baron Grey of Codnor: for Argentain in Aquitaine read Argentan in Normandy |
| 29 | for 1435 read 1445 |